


Jealous

by Killerwit68



Series: Supercorp First Kisses Collection [5]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 23:23:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Killerwit68/pseuds/Killerwit68
Summary: Lena's heart breaks when she realizes that that there is something going on between Kara Danvers and Supergirl. Because the truth is, she has fallen completely in love with her best friend.Standalone short story about the first kiss between Kara Danvers and Lena Luthor.





	Jealous

Jealous By K. Aten

 

 

“I’M SORRY LENA, but I’m not going to be able to meet you for lunch today. Supergirl is battling a group of aliens downtown and Snapper has scrambled all available reporters to cover it.”

Kara sounded out of breath over the phone and Lena’s eye’s furrowed with confusion. “Hey, that’s okay. I know stuff comes up that’s out of our control. I’ve certainly cancelled on you enough times. But be safe, okay? I wouldn’t want anything to happen to my favorite CatCo reporter.”

The reporter in question laughed in response. “Just CatCo?”

Lena smiled at her best friend, her first close friend in a long time. “Favorite reporter then.”

“Just reporter?”

Musical laughter poured from dark red lips and Lena was utterly charmed by Kara’s cheek. “Favorite person, if you must know.”

With a hint of teasing, Kara answered. “Oh, I _must_ know—”

Her words were cut off with a pained grunt and Lena grew concerned. “Kara, is everything alright?”

“I’m f—fine, just dodging some debris from the fight. Uh, in the street, you know, because I’m trying to see what’s going on so I can cover it. For the article.”

Still concerned, Lena tried again. “What about a late lunch?”

A small growl sounded over the phone, and another grunt. “S—sorry Lena, but things are really uh, heating up here now and I think I’m going to be running late on this—” A loud bang was heard over the line then Kara’s voice came back on. “—on this story. Maybe tomorrow?”

“Sure, Kara. I’m going to hang up now because you sound really busy.”

“Thanks! Bye, Lena!”

“Bye, Kar—” But the line was already disconnected. The CEO of LCorp was full of worry for her friend. She knew a reporter’s job could be dangerous and Kara just seemed so…soft, and innocent. Like her lips. Lena shivered and firmly wrestled her mind back to ‘friend’s only’ territory. “Lena Luthor, you will _not_ think of your best friend that way! Alter the equation and remove your mind from that trajectory right this instant!”

Her self-castigating words were interrupted by Jess’s voice over the intercom. “Ms. Luthor, you have call from Matsuda-san in Lab 52. He says it’s urgent.”

A delicate finger punched the intercom even as the other hand was clicking through files to bring up Lab 52’s current project. “Patch him through please, Jess.” Seeing the results of their latest and final trial had Lena’s eyebrow climbing higher and higher. Apparently she was going to be too busy to worry about lunch herself. Good thing Kara cancelled.

 

 

 

TWO DAYS LATER found a familiar pair eating lunch at Noonan’s. For once neither Kara nor Lena were running late. And it was a rare treat when both women were able to stay through the whole meal without their phones blowing up. Lena was explaining LCorp’s latest green energy breakthrough to Kara, completely certain of the blonde’s confidentiality on the subject of Lena’s trade secrets. But she was smart enough to keep her voice down to be sure no one else overheard them.

Kara’s voice carried every bit of her awe and amazement for her best friend. “Lena, that is incredible! How long have you been working on this?”

“Truthfully?” Kara nodded. “I drew up the initial idea on a napkin when I was in graduate school. But at the time green energy wasn’t exactly something my family encouraged. Unless of course that green energy was coming from some sort of alien weapon.”

Seeing the shadow of pain pass through Lena’s gaze brought a nearly physical ache to the invulnerable Kryptonian and she covered Lena’s hand in sympathy. The hand was soft and Kara found herself enamored with the delicate green of Lena’s eyes and the way her friend’s heartbeat sped whenever they were together. It was a heady feeling for the reporter. And though it certainly wasn’t new, the emotions she felt in the CEO’s presence were more than a little unnerving. You see, Kara loved Lena. Truly, deeply, and madly…just like the song.

It was her innermost secret. It was one of many, but it was the only one that was held by her and her alone. And just that secret on its own would be enough to completely tear apart the foundation of her friendship, rend and twist familial ties, and even shock the world. Because it wasn’t just the innocuous admission of love between a lowly CatCo reporter and the CEO of one of the biggest tech corporations in the world. The secret of Kara’s love was mere aluminum, light compared to the weight of the other secret that surrounded it. No, the thing that would upend the delicate balance of good and evil throughout the world known was the other quiet admission that wrapped like a lead blanket around that small and innocuous truth. Supergirl loved Lena Luthor. Unfortunately, despite all the formidable powers and skills at Supergirl’s disposal, she had no way of knowing that her love was completely and irrevocably returned. Society be damned.

Clearing her throat, Kara pulled her hand away and picked up the fork that had been discarded in the tender moment. Lena took the opportunity to stab at her own salad, thoughts racing a mile a minute. After gathering her steam again, Lena continued with the story of their newest product. “Anyways, in honor of the newly created Solar-Synth Cells or S2C as I like to call them, LCorp is hosting a huge Earth Day event in Marsden Park. We’ll be giving out swag bags to the first two hundred people that show up, there will be live entertainment, and a speech that will demonstrate our newest product line.”

“Ooh, Josh mentioned something about covering an Earth Day event but I didn’t realize you were hosting it.”

Lena’s eyebrow went up as a strange feeling twisted her belly at the affectionate way Kara said the unknown man’s name. “Josh?”

Kara nodded. “Yeah, Josh Linky. He’s CatCo’s official tech writer. Snapper had me shadow him for a few days last month since I’ve covered quite a few of the LCorp press events and my boss felt I should have—” Kara pitched her voice lower and gruffer, which made Lena giggle. “—a ‘better understanding of what you’re writing about, Ponytail’. He’s a pretty sweet guy.”

The feeling didn’t go away with Kara’s declaration so Lena tried to play it off with humor. “Who, Snapper?”

Kara laughed and pushed her glasses up. “No, Josh! And—oh my gosh, his husband brought him lunch one day and they are just the cutest couple!”

Lena blinked. “Oh.” Just like that the feeling was gone. “That’s really great, Kara.”

A fork waved in the air between the two women and Kara encouraged her to continue. “Sorry for interrupting, finish what you were saying please. Wait!” She held up a single long finger of the hand not holding the fork. “What’s in the swag bags?”

The CEO’s gaze was caught and held by the long digit with its tan skin and graceful-seeming strength. “Uh—it’s just an LCorp drawstring backpack full of items with the LCorp logo. A water bottle, a bottle opener key chain, magnet, collapsible Frisbee, and collapsible dog water dish, and a randomly select STEM toy, one of ten featured in last year’s Inspire magazine.”

Blue eyes softened behind Kara’s glasses and Kara gushed. “Aww, that’s so awesome. You’ve got something for everyone in it!”

Lena snorted in a very un-Luthor-like manner at the human puppy across the table from her. “As I was saying, we want it to be a big event for the city and a turning point for green energy for not just our country but for the world. And I was hoping that you could do me a solid?”

Kara cocked her head curiously and smiled at her friend. “What is it, Lena? You already know the answer is yes.”

“I was wondering if you could contact Supergirl and ask her if she’d like to stop in at the kid’s tent. My PR team has put together an entire day’s worth of fun STEM activities for children 12 and under and I think some of them would love to meet her.”

“Of course she will!” Kara exclaimed.

A dark skeptical brow went up again. “And you know this without asking her?”

A quiet red blush worked its way up Kara’s neck to stain her cheeks. It was something that Lena took detailed notice of. “Well, she—uh, after that big battle a few days ago she mentioned that she wanted to do something to help the city celebrate Earth Day but she wasn’t sure what.”

“You spoke with her then?”

Caught in her own cover story, Kara’s nervous rambling only got worse. “Yeah, I mean—I ate, uh, I mean we ate lunch. Then. After—you know—the fighting and such.”

The lunch that Kara cancelled with Lena. The lunch that Kara insisted would be too late to eat after covering the story for CatCo. And just like that, the burning twisting feeling was back in the pit of Lena’s stomach. Like prodding a throbbing tooth, the CEO couldn’t help poking at Kara’s strange behavior where the superhero was concerned. “Kara Danvers, are you blushing? Do you… _like_ Supergirl?”

The reporter choked on her last bite of pasta and sputtered an answer. “Well—she, of course I do, Lena! Who _doesn’t_ like Supergirl?”

Always a glutton for punishment, Lena reached over and covered the top of Kara’s free hand. It distracted the blonde to no end, which may have explained the deep blush that returned to her face. “No, Kara—do you _like_ Supergirl? I mean, it’s understandable because frankly the woman is amazing, so strong and so powerful…”

Flustered, Kara’s fork went flying. “Psshh—me like Supergirl? No, that’s—ugh, no way. That’s just crazy, Lena!” She shook her head adamantly, seeming to protest a bit too much to Lena’s green-eyed gaze. “Definitely not!”

The twisting in Lena’s gut became a monster with talons, ripping their way into Lena’s soft emotions. “Oh, if you insist, Kara. Anyway, can you pass on the message for me?”

Seeing a momentary look of pain cross Lena’s face, Kara grew concerned. “Hey, are you okay?”

Lena pressed her lips together in a hard line before answering. “I’m fine. I don’t think my lunch is sitting well with me. Maybe it’s from too many late nights and the accumulated stress of the upcoming product release and event planning.”

Blue eyes narrowed as Kara glanced down at Lena’s plate. “Is that romaine? Did you eat romaine? You know they just did a recall on lettuce. I keep telling you that you can’t trust green vegetables, Lena. They are out to get us!”

Mood eased slightly, Lena laughed at her best friend’s antics. “Relax, Kara. It’s just some spring greens, cold chicken, and Asian dressing. I’m sure I’ll live.”

“Are you sure? I can take you to the med center if you like—”

“Kara—” Lena sighed and shook her head with an exasperated smile. “You don’t even have a car.”

The resourceful reporter picked up her phone. “I can Uber with the best of them!” Lena never got a chance to reply because Kara’s phone suddenly lit up with her sister’s name and the infamous sound of the Imperial March came over the tiny speaker. Kara’s eyes widened and she pointed a finger at Lena. “Never, ever, tell her that her ring tone represents Darth Vader in my phone.” Then she quickly answered it before the call could go to voicemail. “Hello Alex. How is my wonderful and perfect sister today?”

Lena snickered and whispered back to her. “Mum’s the word.” Meal finished, and sensing that Kara’s conversation was going to take a bit, Lena motioned to the server for the check.

After paying and standing for a one-armed hug from Kara, the blonde mouthed ‘sorry’ to her around a series of “Uh huh, yeah, no, no Alex. Yeah.” She took a quick second to whisper to Lena. “I’ll call you later.” Lena nodded and made her way back to work.

Kara did indeed text later and mentioned that she’d passed on Lena’s request to Supergirl. Of course, per the Kara Danvers style, the text was followed by half a dozen emoji’s, one selfie, and a picture of kittens cuddling in a basket. The emoji’s made Lena smile. The selfie she saved in a special folder on her phone, and the basket of kittens she forwarded to Jess. Her Administrative Assistant loved baby animals. It was probably one of the many reasons the woman loved Kara so much.

Well past the end of the day, about an hour after Jess had gone home for the evening, Lena sighed as she slid her laptop into the safe below her desk. She placed a sheaf of papers into the satchel that would be coming home with her, as well as the washed and dried travel mug. Lena had just slid her cell phone into her jacket pocket when she was startled by a gentle tapping on her balcony door. She knew who it was without looking behind her and her heart raced with a multitude of emotions. Finally turning around, she walked over and unlocked the door so her guest could enter. “Supergirl, please come in. Great timing, you just caught me before I left for the day.”

The cape flowed behind National City’s darling as she strode through the doors. Her scent was that of wind and sun, the smell of puppies and a day at the beach. And underneath it all was a familiar smell and Lena subtly took it all in. Kara. Lena’s gut twisted, clenched even as Supergirl’s strong modulated voice responded with no small amount of humor. “Good _evening_ Ms. Luthor. You do realize that the day is long gone and most people, even CEOs, left for their homes long ago? Doctors worldwide agree that a good night’s rest is essential to human function.” Kara Danvers was very aware that her human disguise wasn’t particularly strong but most people saw what they wanted to see. However, whenever she interacted with people that knew her as both personas, she always positioned Supergirl in such a way that would reduce the chance of discovery. She learned the trick when she first donned the blue and red suit years before. That was how the hero came to be standing in front of Lena Luthor with the setting sun at her back. The glare from behind reduced the golden features of her face to a shadowed parody, beautiful and dark.

Lena smiled, though it was a little more strained than usual. “Yes well, the only way to stay on top is to stay ahead and if that requires a few more hours in at the office then that’s what I have to do. And we can’t very well save the world through the fine art of slumber, now can we?”

Supergirl cocked her head curiously. “I suppose not. Kara mentioned you wanted to see me?”

Lena walked back over toward her desk, leaning against the solid white surface with a casual air of nonchalance. “Yes, I was hoping you could make an appearance at the children’s tent for the Earth Day event that LCorp will be hosting in Marsden Park. It’s this coming Sunday. I apologize for such late notice but—”

“I’d love to be there!”

Lena was momentarily taken aback at Supergirl’s exuberance. “Oh, okay. Thank you.” She suddenly straightened and walked over to face the Kryptonian hero. “It really means a lot to me that we can let the kids see what a real hero looks like. Especially all the young girls that we want to encourage to go into STEM careers. I want them to know that it is within them to do whatever they set out to do in life.”

Supergirl smiled. “Well if that’s the case, they only need to look as far as the CEO of LCorp. They’ll find both a hero and a woman who excels at science, technology, engineering, and math. Maybe _you_ are the hero those kids need, Lena Luthor.”

At a loss for words in response to the Supergirl’s brand of off the cuff praise, Lena could only shrug and change the subject. “You know, your scent seems familiar. It reminds me of Kara’s perfume.” Lena was quick to notice the blush that stained Supergirl’s cheeks and the monster climbed from her gut into her chest.

“Oh, well—Kara, uh, you know she passed on the message from you earlier. And she’s a hugger.” Supergirl laughed nervously and Lena joined her with a pained chuckle.

“Yes she is.”

Before Lena could make an excuse as to why she had to leave, why she couldn’t bear to look at Supergirl anymore that evening, the hero suddenly assumed her classic ‘alert’ pose, listening. She turned back to Lena with a grimace and a polite nod. “My apologies, Ms. Luthor, but I must go. Sirens on the other side of the city are singing to me.”

A smirk graced Lena’s face at the mythical reference that may have slipped by a lesser being. “Be wary of those sirens, Supergirl.”

“Get home safe, Ms. Luthor.” And just like that, the hero was gone in a swirl of wind, leaving behind the smell of goodness, Kara’s perfume, and the stench of jealousy that coated Lena’s nose and soft palate. She soothed herself with words she’d repeated too many times before. “She’s not yours, you can’t be upset. Accept the love she gives, don’t expect the love you want.” The words had become her mantra of sorts, talking her down from the ledge of feelings and pulling her out of the wallowing suffocation of being in love with her best friend.

 

 

 

SUNDAY DAWNED SUNNY and clear and Earth Day in National City promised to be one of the nicer days of spring. Large festival tents were set up around the park, inflatable children’s activities occupied the corner nearest the playground on one side of the open green expanse. Drone demonstrations and a makeshift outdoor lab with fun kid-friendly science experiments were on the other side. And at the end, nearest the water’s edge, there stood a large pavilion ready for live music, demonstrations, and speeches. A tarp covered object stood off to the side, ready for the unveiling of the Solar-Synth Cell panels later in the day. Everything was perfect.

Lena Luthor wasn’t nervous. She was a CEO of one of the largest tech companies in the world. She had personally stared death down too many times to be rattled at the thought of one simple speech. There was a time nearly a year ago that Lena would have been afraid of crazed kryptonite-powered robots, unruly aliens, or assassination attempts by her mother or brother, but all that had been cleaned up by Supergirl personally and Lena’s life had taken on a strange sense of normalcy. So today was a day for celebration. Not just for Lena or her company, but for what the Solar-Synth Cells could mean to the world. Not only did they utilized the power of the sun to create energy, but they also filtered the very air much like trees did through photosynthesis. It was revolutionary. The press would be in attendance and the world would be watching as Lena detailed the newest LCorp green creation. What was there to be nervous about?

“Hi Lena!”

“For the love of fu—funnel cakes” the CEO quickly changed what she was going to say as she spied a family with young children wandering by, snacking on the sugary dough treats. She spun around and poked Kara in her surprisingly muscular arm. “Do. Not. Do. That! You could have given me a heart attack, Kara!”

Kara giggled and fiddled with the frames of her glasses. Then she gave Lena a little shove back. “Psshh, whatever you say, Ms. Luthor. I think you’re pretty safe though as the _youngest_ CEO of a Fortune 500 company.”

Lena shivered at the way Kara said ‘Ms. Luthor’ and she calmly, deliberately, pushed down the inconvenient and unrequited feelings. “Well then, I’d be the youngest to have a heart attack.”

Kara rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous—oh my gosh, are those funnel cakes?” She made to drag Lena toward the food trucks but the CEO resisted.

“Kara, Kara, Kara, I refuse to allow unrefined sugars from a sketchy food truck to pass these lips!”

The reporter narrowed her eyes and smirked at Lena. “Tell me Ms. Luthor, off the record of course, what _will_ you allow past those lips?” Lena and Kara had been good friends for the past few years, nearly as soon as the CEO relocated to National City. And during that time she’d seen the reporter go through many emotions, had soaked up all the many facets of Kara’s golden-bright personality. But she had never seen _this_ Kara Danvers. The CEO’s brow furrowed and she wondered if perhaps the confidence shift was due to the amount of time Kara spent with the hero of National City. Lena couldn’t speak. Instead she stood frozen for an entire three seconds, a microcosm of time that may as well have been an eternity. It was in that short amount of silence that Kara’s eyes widened and her embarrassment broke loose to fly free like an unfettered bird. “Oh gosh, I—uh, I can’t believe I just said that! I was only, it was—I’m just joking Lena!”

Having the stuttering mess that was Kara Danvers return so abruptly and so thoroughly forced air past Lena’s dry lips and into her lungs. Lena laughed at the charming combination of flirt and fluster. And secretly she wished that Kara were serious about the flirtatious intentions. Before Kara could think she’d gone mad, Lena put a hand on the reporter’s shoulder and leaned in close enough to be heard over the music. “I’ll have you know, one thing that is always allowed past these lips is…kale.” The last word came out as a hot whisper next to Kara’s ear and Lena took satisfaction in the shiver that trembled through her friend’s body.

It took a second, maybe two, for the word to register with Kara. But when it did her face scrunched up with disgust. “Oh, eww, no way! Nope. Maybe not now, because I know your speech is coming up soon, but later—” Kara pointed back and forth between her and her best friend. “—you and I have a date with a funnel cake.”

Lena snickered. “Or ten.” Kara squawked indignantly despite knowing that Lena’s words were one hundred percent true, but any response she may have had was stifled by Jess.

The admin approached Lena with data tablet in hand and a serious look upon her face. She nodded at Kara and flashed the reporter a quick smile before turning back to the task at hand. “Ms. Luthor, the announcer would like to speak with you about the introductions. He also wants to know when Supergirl will arrive.”

Lena turned her gaze to Kara and the blonde shrugged and gave her a quirky smile. “She said she’d be here and you can always count on Supergirl. I’m just going to go over there—” she pointed off toward the food trucks “—and have a funnel cake or three while you do your official ‘CEO things’. I’ll catch up with you later.”

The CEO who had way too many ‘CEO things’ to accomplish in the next fifteen minutes still took the time to watch Kara walk away, blonde ponytail bouncing with each step. She sighed and Jess smirked behind her tablet but didn’t comment on her boss’s obvious infatuation because she knew Lena better than the woman knew herself. The connection between the two women would have to be worked out their own way, without the input of others.

A short while later, Lena Luthor stood on a stage in front of hundreds of National City citizens. She hadn’t seen Supergirl arrive yet but she did the demonstration for the S2C and gave her speech exactly as she intended and was delightfully surprised by the abundant applause her words garnered from the crowd. She chalked it up to the fact that the people attending the Earth Day celebration were either tree hugging liberals or people who were just happy that she gave out free swag. A few hands went up in the crowd immediately after her closing words but she shook her head and smiled. “Oh no, put your hands down please. This isn’t a press conference, I’ll have one of those next week. Today is about celebrating the earth, the air, the ocean, and the p—”

“People.”

Lena wasn’t even surprised when Supergirl finished her sentence. The hero floated down to the stage next to Lena and once again the CEO caught a vague whiff of Kara on the hero’s uniform. Her queer self cried a little inside. “Would you like to say something to the crowd, Supergirl?” Under her breath where she knew only the Kryptonian would hear, she whispered. “Took you long enough.” Rather than a sharp look, Lena was met with a blinding smile as Supergirl stood beneath the hot midday sun. She had something like an aura about her and Lena was hard pressed to blame Kara for falling under her spell. She stepped back and relinquished the podium, if only to remove the scent assaulting her nose and reduce the clawing burn of jealousy that had worked its way up into her throat.

“As Ms. Luthor was saying, today is about a celebration. While I love the traditions and holidays of the entire world, there is something about Earth Day that I hold near and dear to my heart. Some of you may wonder why an alien would love an underappreciated holiday such as this. And let me propose an idea to you all, do you love your birthday? Of course you do, at least until we reach a certain age.” A few chuckles met her words. “But think about your kids, your friends, your loved ones, I bet you love their birthdays more don’t you? That is the reason why I love Earth Day. My own planet is gone, forever stolen from the universe in a single heart-rending explosion. And most of Krypton’s people were taken from the universe during its demise. But for the few of us that survived, for those of us that made our way here, we are ever so grateful. This planet is our new love. This third rock from the sun is our home and we hold it dear to our hearts because we know what it’s like to lose a planet, to lose everything we once held dear. And those of us who have come from other worlds cherish the gift that is Earth. But Earth is more than just a simple planet full of abundant resources and natural wonders. Earth, first and foremost, is about its people.”

Supergirl paused and a round of applause went through the crowed but she wasn’t finished. The quiet only was broken by a crying baby and camera clicks when she raised her hand to continue. “For those of you that don’t know, the S on my chest doesn’t stand for ‘super’. It is actually the symbol of mine and Superman’s familial house, the House of El. The symbol means ‘stronger together’. I want you to remember that motto on this Earth Day. I pledge to anyone that is watching that we are stronger together when it comes to protecting the land, protecting the people, and keeping this planet safe for all. Thank you.”

The roar of the crowd was great as she finished speaking and stepped back. Then in a move that surprised the CEO, Supergirl reached over and grasped Lena’s hand, raising their joined hands above their heads. “Stronger together—El Mayarah!”

The two women made their way off the stage and a few minutes later the crowd calmed down and dissipated with the start of the next band. Lena turned to the shining hero, her own personal savior too many times over in the early days of L Corp’s birth. “Thank you for including me.”

Supergirl nodded and gave a bright smile. “Ms. Luthor, you were already included. I just let the world know where I stand, where I will always stand. Now, I believe you mentioned tents full of children?”

“I did indeed.” Then, as Supergirl turned slightly to scan the park with her enhanced vision, Lena noticed a bit of white just above the S of her uniform. Seeing Lena’s gaze, Supergirl blushed lightly and wiped the bit of powder from the blue material.

She shrugged and laughed good-naturedly. “Ah, you caught me. I suppose you can add this to your ‘Luthor List of Super Weaknesses’. Funnel cakes. Good day, Ms. Luthor. And thanks again for the invite.” Then the woman in blue quickly sped away, faster than Lena could track with her eyes. She growled under her breath and huffed quietly. “I can probably add a certain blonde reporter to your list of weaknesses as well.”

Lena spent the next few hours overseeing the return of their prototype to the LCorp lab. At the same time Supergirl regaled the boys and girls in the STEM tent with stories of Kryptonian science and her own time as a little girl. She even mentioned that she herself was destined for the science guild before being sent to Earth. After that she played tag with the drones, and aided a few of the kid’s rocket launches that sputtered rather than take to the sky. She would watch and if one failed to self-propel, she would give it a little “lift” to get it going.

It was just near three in the afternoon when Lena made it back to the park and she texted Kara to see where she was. The reply was almost instantaneous.

**Kara: Lena, puppies!**

The text was followed by a selfie of Kara holding an adorable little black and brown puppy. Then another picture followed a minute later that was obviously taken by someone else. Kara sat in the middle of a fenced area, completely surrounded by the fuzzy little rascals. Kara’s eyes were squinted shut with laugher behind her glasses and she looked so happy. Lena saved both pictures despite the fact that you could see the tell-tale bit of red fabric in the corner of the second picture. Little did she know it was from a scarf wrapped around the animal shelter volunteer’s neck.

**Lena: I see that. Looks quite fun and adorable.**

**Lena: Where are you?**

The CEO craned her neck around but didn’t see much beyond the STEM tent and the food vendors.

**Kara: At the far end of the park, down past the STEM tent. Come play with us!**

For a second, Lena wondered if the reporter meant for her to play with Kara and Supergirl, or Kara and the puppies.

**Kara: Puppies, Lena. Puuupppiiiieesss!**

The last text was followed by quite a few dog emoji’s and an extreme close up picture of a little pup with black nose, black eyes, and creamy tan fur. Lena smiled and quickly typed back.

**Lena: On my way.**

She didn’t see Supergirl for the rest of the day but pictures of LCorp’s CEO rolling around with a slew of adorable puppies popped up online and even made it to the news rag sites. Lena didn’t care in the slightest. It was a great day to celebrate.

 

 

 

HOURS LATER LENA and Kara sat in Kara’s apartment eating Chinese takeout while the blonde woman gushed about all the puppies she got to meet. Later, after watching a cheesy dog-themed movie, Kara sighed. “Rao, I wish I could have a dog!”

Lena thought for a second and finally asked, “Well, why can’t you? Doesn’t this building allow pets? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen at least three people coming and going regularly with dogs.”

Kara pouted. “Well yeah, it does. But I’m always so busy. Between my job as a reporter and flying all over the city, it doesn’t seem fair to leave a pet at home by themselves. I’d be a bad dog mom.” She winked as she mentioned flying all over the city and suddenly Lena’s food sat like a rock in her stomach.

“I’m sorry, Kara.”

“Wait, _you_ could have a dog!” Kara looked so excited but she was way off base if she at all thought Lena had time for a pet of any kind.

“No Kara, between owning LCorp _and_ CatCo, even with competent people running the day to day I’m barely ever home.”

The reporter held up her hand to forestall more protests. “But you own the company—companies! You could simply bring your dog to work and it could sleep in a basket by your desk.”

She shook her head apologetically. “I’m sorry, but no. That is definitely _not_ the image I want to project when it comes to business.”

Kara huffed and crossed her arms in displeasure. “Fine, but you have to come volunteer at the animal shelter once a month with me then.”

Lena laughed and fell just a little further into the pain that was love. “You’re adorable.” The words slipped out but she just didn’t have it in her to call them back or explain them away.

“Is that a yes?”

The busy CEO rolled her eyes and smiled back at her best friend. “Yes Kara, I’ll volunteer once a month with you. Just give the information to Jess so she can put it on my schedule.”

And just like that, Kara’s funk was completely erased and she jumped up from the couch. “Yes! This calls for a celebration. What kind of ice cream do you want?”

Lena tried to protest but didn’t get far at all. “Oh, I don’t want—”

“Rocky Road? How did you know that was my favorite? Here you go, I got you peaches and cream because it reminds me of you.” Faster than Lena could have guessed possible, Kara was back with two pints of ice cream. Each had a towel wrapped around them and a spoon sticking out.

Lena gazed longingly at her glass of wine, then looked back into the container of dessert. After about four seconds of internal debate, she gave in. The first bite chilled her tongue but it was so smooth and creamy that her eyes slipped closed and she moaned around the spoon. It had been a very long time since she’d last eaten ice cream. And whatever brand Kara favored was sinfully delicious. She didn’t think anything of her own moan until something caught her ears. A whine perhaps. It was a small sound, one barely noticeable in the drone of the closing moving credits but it caught Lena’s attention nonetheless. Lena’s eyes popped open to look at Kara and her attention was caught and held by her friend’s parted lips and increased breathing. In a fit of curiosity, Lena wanted to tease a bit to see if that bold Kara would come back. “See something you like, Ms. Danvers?”

A hand immediately came up to fumble with glasses as Kara fidgeted in her seat. “Oh, um, you look re—uh, I mean that looks really good. C—can I try a bite?”

Smirking, Lena continued to play. “You bought ice cream that you’ve never had before?” Kara nodded. “Oh? A peaches and cream virgin are we? Well we can’t have that.” She quickly ran her spoon through the treat to collect enough for a Kara-size bite, then held it out to the blonde. She was curious as to how her action would play out. “And I certainly don’t mind if you sample my treat. It’s _very_ creamy.”

Kara flushed bright red but it didn’t stop her from leaning forward to carefully wrap a hand around Lena’s wrist and direct the spoon into her mouth. The blonde moaned around the spoon and Lena was forced to squeeze her thighs together in an attempt to alleviate a sudden and certain throbbing. She was further discomfited when Kara’s pink tongue came out to graze across her lips, wiping them free of leftover ice cream. “Thank you.” Kara’s tone was flirty and full of previously-unheard promise.

It was then that Lena realized what she had done, the dangerous place that she was leading her best friend. While Supergirl wasn’t a close friend, per se, she was an acquaintance. Even if she weren’t it would still be wrong. Lena had never been one to poach someone else’s significant other. “You know what, I’m pretty full from dinner still. I’ll just put this away so it doesn’t melt.” She stood abruptly and walked over to the kitchen to return the ice cream and put the spoon in the dishwasher.

“Lena?” Kara’s voice sounded worried, or maybe it was hurt. But Lena couldn’t hear the inflection above the pounding of her own heart as each beat crashed like hammer blows and shattered the stricken organ into a million pieces.

The CEO walked over to stand in front of the tall windows that overlooked the city. She crossed her arm tight against her chest in a classic Lena Luthor defensive stance. While Kara’s apartment wasn’t terribly high up it was enough to see the twinkling office lights from the financial district buildings and other National City monuments. “The city is beautiful at night. You know I never once missed Metropolis after I moved here.” She could hear Kara put away her own ice cream and spoon, then the sound of her shoes as she approached Lena from the kitchen. The conflicted woman shivered as Kara caressed her shoulder from behind.

“Are you okay, Lena? Did I say something to bother you?”

The first tear fell as her best friend stepped even closer. “Kara, I—” She shuddered and another tear fell. “I thought I could do this. I thought I could keep it light, be teasing and fun. But I can’t. And I don’t dare do anything for fear of losing the very best person I’ve ever met, the one who is my light above all others.” She turned to look back at the woman who was simultaneously her torture and her salvation. “Kara, I—”

Soft lips. Kara’s were pressed tight against hers and the reporter’s hands grasped desperately at Lena’s waist. Someone whimpered and Lena wasn’t sure who. And the kiss, it was all-encompassing. It was bold and sweet, exactly like the Kara she had glimpsed in the park. Shit. Fuck. Lena wrenched away with a sob. “I can’t, _we_ can’t!”

When her eyes dared travel back to meet the blue of her long held secret love, she found them full of confusion. “I don’t understand. Why can’t we?” Kara’s voice was quiet and wounded.

Lena’s was hurt. She was half afraid she had completely misread this woman, her private paragon of goodness and virtue. “Because of you and Supergirl.”

Kara’s confusion didn’t abate. “Me and Supergirl?”

Ire boiled beneath Lena’s surface. “Yes, Kara. I may be a Luthor but I refuse to interfere in someone’s relationship. I won’t be a dalliance!”

Shock washed across Kara’s face. “Oh.” She pondered for a long second and followed her soft exclamation with a much louder one. “ _Oh_! Me and Supergirl. I—Lena, there is no me and Supergirl.”

Anger faded, and confusion moved fluidly like water from Kara to Lena. “But—you always know what she’s doing or say you’re having lunch with her. And what about the time she knew what color your bedroom was or the way she _always_ smells like your perfume?” Lena was poking Kara’s chest with each word of her emotional release. The more she remembered of the obvious signs, the further she pushed her friend. But she was stopped abruptly as a pair of deceptively strong hands grabbed her wrists and didn’t let go. Instead Kara spoke up with frustration ringing like a bell in her words.

“What about the fact that Supergirl knows my favorite song or that her favorite food is pot stickers? What about the fact that Supergirl’s entire family died and she was adopted and raised on Earth with a loving family. A mother, a father, and a sister.” Kara shook her just a little, willing the brilliant woman to catch a clue. “Supergirl loves the smell of roses in the evening, she loves puppies, and god damn it Lena, but she loves you!” A look of dawning realization filtered through Lena’s green-eyed gaze but Kara had to be sure. “There is no _Supergirl_.”

Lena sucked in a breath and the tears came again, so fast and so clean. “Kara...”

Kara stepped back and did a Kryptonian bow. “Kara Zor-el actually. And I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Luthor.”

The CEO closed the gap between them and begged. “Say it again.”

“Ms. Luthor?” Lena bit her bottom lip and shook her head so Kara tried again. “There is no Supergirl?”

“No.”

The word was a mere whisper and Lena’s head shake was slower and suddenly Kara knew what she needed. “I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“Yes.”

Kara pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. “Can I kiss you again?”

As an answer, Lena threaded her hands through Kara’s blonde locks and pulled their lips together with passionate force. She sobbed into Kara’s mouth and stole her breath in return. They didn’t need any more words after that because both women had been stripped bare for the other to see. Minutes, hours, or even days passed while they connected in the deepest and softest of ways. Jealousy is a negative emotion for most people, the majority of the time. It can be debilitating, it can ruin relationships before they’ve even begun. But the lesson Lena Luthor learned, the knowledge that filled her and soothed that clawing fire was that Jealousy is nothing more than a solvent, stripping the veneer away from our deepest desires. When the two women finally pulled back to look at each other, both wore sweet smiles of contentment. Who would have guessed that a Super and Luthor would shine for each other with such love and passion? A Super and a Luthor in love. Amazing.

 


End file.
